Dear Miss Addams: --
An engagement of mine to read at the annual luncheon of the Woman's Union in Rochester, May 4, was voted to postponement because of the national situation -- if I agreed. Of course I did agree. But I added that I felt that, instead of postponement, the time might be used for definite service, of a sort [illegible] for which assemblies of women, or men and women, should be convening now. I said that the story which I had meant to read was in two parts -- the first, "Over There", the story in Collier's last July, about which you may remember that we wrote, at the time; and the second part, the discovery of those village women of a tremendous mission for women now -- namely, the keeping down of intolerance and hatred; and the persistent emphasis on the future, the time of Reconstruction, of mothering the whole race. And I [added] that, if they wished this, and cared to inaugurate some way of getting this idea to organizations of other women, (through the General Federation or in any other way) I should be glad to have them use my fee that day for the purpose.
They have telegraphed me to come. Now may I have your suggestion of something to propose to them, as a way to reach other women with the idea of that day. They are a strong organization, and could speak in their own name. Should this be a resolution, to be mailed everywhere to women's clubs; or a letter? I think that I favor the letter -- say, an open letter to women, to be mailed widely and printed wherever they would take it. May I have your thought on this? And the points -- if you approve -- which you think such a letter should cover? I feel that such an organization, if it will, can do this now far better than any group identified with peace propaganda.
My love to you, always.
Zona Gale [signed]
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